Lough Corrib
Corrib is renowned for its mayfly fishing, and every year anglers from all over flock to its shores in search of the elusive wild brown trout that cruise the wind lanes, mopping up hatching fly. While Corrib is famed for the numbers of wild trout it supports, it also holds some really great fish, and the chance of an encounter with one of these wily browns is what draws many anglers back year after year. This year, I was lucky enough to have that experience. Fishing a couple of days ago with regular fishing partner Neil Spellacy, we had some very productive drifts along the back of Inchiquin in a strong and sometimes squally westerly. Fishing wet mayfly patterns, we boated 6 trout in a couple of hours, with most of these averaging 2lbs, turning many more fish and seeing plenty of action. There was a steady hatch of mayfly and olives, with hundreds of gulls feeding and plenty of fish to be seen splashing at the surface. The best fish came to Neil's rod and would have gone nearly 3lbs on a scales (all fish released).

Kevin Crowley with a 6lbs Corrib trout taken on wet mayfly.

After lunch, the wind picked up further and backed northwesterly, with squally showers, and the fishing died off for a bit, so towards evening I suggested a drift back in Greenfields Bay. Near the end of the drift, just coming up to a shallow, my rod buckled over and we both stared in shock at the view of a broad golden flank as the fish turned with the fly across a wave 20 yards from the boat. This was no 2-pounder, and I played it very carefully, frankly terrified it would throw the hook or break the 8lbs leader. After a great fight, with several reel-screaming runs, I managed to draw the fish over the net, and for the next hour I'm sure you couldn't have taken the smile off my face. The well-fed trout measured 62cm, and we estimated it to be over 6lbs - certainly my best ever Corrib trout on fly and an experience I will never forget. I'm sure I had a smile as broad as Galway Bay as I watched it swim away, perhaps a little wiser for the experience! And to my amazement, fishing the same drift not 20 minutes later, I hooked another cracking trout that fought as hard, if not harder, than the first - unfortunately this time we parted company when it threw the hook - it may not have been as big as the earlier fish but would certainly have gone 4-5lbs. What a day, and one that will live long in the memory! It was a reminder of the fantastic sport that Corrib can offer, and a perfect illustration of why anglers view the lake as a trout Mecca. Long may it continue that way...

Kevin Crowley with a 6lbs Corrib trout taken on wet mayfly.

Craig McKirdy reports on some great fishing around the lake, starting in the Greenfields area, where 10 anglers staying at Greenfield House Hotel over 4 days had 28 fish (18 returned), including a great fish of 4lbs. Local angler Gavan Hennessy (Claran) had a sporting day on Saturday with 7 fish boated, returning 6, all were taken on a dry yellow mayfly. Loughrea angler Robert Reilly with his son Kieran also had a very good Saturday with 9 fish, returning 7, most taken on yellow and green mayfly.

Visiting UK angler Jim Longmore had 9 fish over 5 days, returning 6, some of those fish were taken on buzzer. Father and son Christy & Brian O'Connell (Cork) had 6 fish for 12.8lbs all to the dap. Owen Jackman (Tipperary) enjoyed his first day on lake for the season on Monday last week and had 6 fish (all returned, best around 2.7lbs). Aidan Cahill (Ballinasloe) had 6 fish on yellow mayfly patterns, both wet and dry. A further 28 anglers reported landing 101 fish (65 returned).

In the Cornamona area Percy Hyland and boat partner Aidan (Clifden) had 4 fish cracking fish mostly to the dap, best fish was approx.. 4.5lbs. Local angler Paddy Kinneavy along with Dorrie Gibbons had a fish each. A group of visiting Northern Ireland anglers fishing over 4 days had an average of 5 fish per man per day, with most fish returned, with another 3 anglers having 16 fish over 2 days with all but one being returned. Fishery officers checking anglers met 29 anglers by midday on Friday, with 19 fish already boated at that stage early in the day, an indication of how well the fishing was going.

Over on the Oughterard side, Northern Irish visitor Paddy Dawson, staying in Currarevagh House, had 25 fish over 3 days, with most being returned - best fish 3lbs. Paul and Michael Stewart had 5 fish for 10lbs, Billy Molloy also having 5 fish for one day's fishing. Raymond Lee had 10 fish over 3 days, all coming to wetfly.

Kevin Prunty of the Oughterard Anglers produced a fine report on the International Mayfly Competition held on Sunday:
"The long and proud tradition of fishing the mayfly on Lough Corrib is alive and well in Oughterard, Co. Galway. This was evident on Sunday, May 11, when the Oughterard Angling Club hosted the annual International Mayfly Angling Competition as part of the Mayfly Festival weekend.

There was a massive entry of 145 national and international competitors into the event which is flycasting and dapping only, held from Oughterard Pier. The competition is a team and individual event, and on what were ideal conditions for fishing trout on Lough Corrib, there were some heavy bags of fish brought to the weigh-in on the pier at 6pm.

Presentation of prizes was held in the marque at Faherty's Bar, The Square Oughterard, and for their €25 competition entry fee anglers received a steak dinner. A big thank you to the committee of Oughterard Anglers & Boatman's Assoc., Brian Higgins & staff in Faherty's Bar, Tom & Patricia Tuck, Chefs Paul & Eoin, Justin Keogh and all who sponsored prizes, helped and took part in the competition.

The winning team on the day was the team of Tony Duncan, Eoin Kelly, Seamus Kelly and Kevin Molloy. The runners-up were Jed de Gregory, Brian Ferguson, Richard Morris, Pauline Lee.

The individual competition was won by local angler Henry Curran, followed in second by Pauline Lee, while Johnny Faherty took third place. Pauline Lee also won the ladies prize, with Breda Cody second. Louis de Gregory took top honours in the junior competition, with Cillian Tierney close behind in second place. The heaviest trout prize was won by Pauline Lee.

Continued broken weather this week is producing good hatches on some days, and excellent fishing even on days when the hatch is sparse. I fished again with neil Spellacy on Tuesday evening and we landed 5 fish for a couple of hours, with Neil taking the bragging rights this time with a trout of 2.5lbs. The forecast for a couple of days settled weather may interrupt things slightly, but broken weather may return later in the weekend, and if mayfly keep hatching off the superb fishing should continue into next week.

Inland Fisheries Ireland officers are out on a daily basis at the moment carrying out routine checks on both size and bag limits. Anglers are asked to please respect the minimum statutory size (13 inches) and bag limits (4 trout per day) and return any undersize fish to the water as quickly and carefully as possible.

Lough Mask
Ronan Cusack reports that the changeable weather over the last week resulted in mixed angling returns on Mask, with some anglers enjoying great sport. Mayfly hatches are still relatively poor, yet on bays and shorelines where fly hatch even in small numbers, trout can be seen to respond immediately.

Regular Mask anglers Anthony Baggott and Philip McGoldrick had what they described as the best day's fishing in years on Mask last Saturday. Winds were southerly and fresh, with a sparse mayfly hatch along the north shore all day. The lads reported boating 14 trout over the size limit and numerous under size fish in the course of the day. Green dabbler and mayfly patterns were the choice of fly (best fish 3.5lbs, all returned).

Philip McGoldrick from Claremorris with a nice 3.5lbs Lough Mask trout, May 2014.

Tourmakeady angler Eddie Gibbons fished with a French couple on Thursday last and they had 4 trout for their day (best fish 2lbs). Eddie also reported fishing himself for a half day last week, boating 10 good trout and again several undersize on wet flies (best fish 2.75lbs). Pat Feerick (Partry) and Aidan Hodgins (Loughrea) had a day on Mask last Saturday and they had 8 trout for the day (best fish 5.5lbs). Kevin Sheridan (Ballinrobe) fished for a few hours most days last week and he had approximately 15 trout up to 1.25lbs on a combination of wets and dries. Ronan Cusack guided for 2 UK anglers (Howard and Mike) on Sunday and Monday of this week and they had 14 trout over the size limit, and again several undersize (best fish 2lbs, all returned). Ballinrobe angler Danny Joyce had 3 nice fish pulling wets on Sunday (best fish 1.75lbs).

Ronan also guides on Mask and can be contacted at cusackronan@gmail.com or at 087 2869487

Lough Carra
Joe Flannelly of Keel River Lodge www.keelriverlodge.com reports some excellent fishing on Lough Carra over the past week. Pat Bannon and Kieran McDonagh from Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan had 9 trout over the legal limit and several undersize this weekend (best fish 2lbs, all returned). Visiting Australian anglers Helen Walsh and Ashley Wood had 5 good trout with the best weighing 2lbs. Hugh Flavin from Croom, Co. Limerick had a great day on Carra with 4 good trout and plenty of action throughout the day. Best patterns were olive emerger, Green Peter, Claret & Mallard and Claret Bumble. There were also good hatches of olives yet mayfly were not as plentiful.

Inland Fisheries Ireland staff are very much aware of the number of small trout anglers are encountering on the lakes over the past number of weeks and officers are out on a daily basis carrying out routine checks on both size and bag limits. Anglers are asked to please respect the minimum statutory size (13 inches) and bag limits (4 trout per day) and return any undersize fish to the water as quickly and carefully as possible.

Kylemore Abbey Fishery
Fishery manager Nigel Rush was in touch to report 2 good salmon taken on Friday. The first was landed by regular visitor Seamus O'Neil, a lovely 10.5lbs fish taken from Benedicts Pool on the Rock Pool Beat, and the second, weighing 9.5lbs, was caught and returned by Nigel himself, fishing Gavins Pool on the Middle River. Water levels have been perfect of late with the broken weather topping up the lakes, and more angling effort should definitely see results here.

To book fishing at Kylemore Abbey contact Nigel at 095 41178, or mobile 087 9580702, and for latest news check the website at www.kylemorefishery.ie

Kevin Crowley with a 6lbs Corrib trout taken on wet mayfly.

Galway Fishery
Water levels rose to 6 gates and have stayed there for the week, following heavy rain and frequent showers last week. As a result, fishing has been difficult in Galway, with 6 fish landed for the week. Dublin angler Paul Wymes took a 10lbs fish on spinner, while Clare man Michael Browne landed a 7-pounder on shrimp. Fergal Cormican from Galway had a 9lbs fish on spinner, while local angler Sean O'Toole showed the way with 2 salmon on the 13th, both fish around 9lbs and taken on shrimp and spinner. Salthill man Dave Lenihan followed that with the best fish of the week today, a fine 10.5lbs salmon taken on shrimp.